Df(3L)MM2/Df(3L)XR38 animals have a defect in the programmed cell death of vCrz neurons: 13.6 +/- 2.2 neurons are present at 7 hours after puparium formation (APF) (these neurons are no longer present in wild-type animals at this stage) and 12.6 +/- 2.5 neurons are present at 16 hours APF.0.5 +/- 0.6 surviving EW3-sib cells are seen in these animals (these cells die during embryogenesis in wild type).

Df(3L)MM3/Df(3L)XR38 animals have a defect in the programmed cell death of vCrz neurons: 5.8 +/- 2.9 neurons are present at 7 hours after puparium formation (these neurons are no longer present in wild-type animals at this stage).

Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)ED225 animals have a defect in the programmed cell death of vCrz neurons: 15.3 +/- 0.5 neurons are present at 7 hours after puparium formation (these neurons are no longer present in wild-type animals at this stage).

Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 animals have a defect in the programmed cell death of vCrz neurons: 14.3 +/- 1.0 neurons are present at 7 hours after puparium formation (these neurons are no longer present in wild-type animals at this stage). 0.4 +/- 0.8 surviving EW3-sib cells are seen in these animals (these cells die during embryogenesis in wild type).

Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)X25 animals have a defect in the programmed cell death of vCrz neurons: 15.2 +/- 1.0 neurons are present at 7 hours after puparium formation (APF) (these neurons are no longer present in wild-type animals at this stage) and 10.7 +/- 1.2 neurons are present at 16 hours APF.

Df(3L)grim-A6C/Df(3L)XR38 animals have a defect in the programmed cell death of vCrz neurons: 15.2 +/- 0.8 neurons are present at 7 hours after puparium formation (APF) (these neurons are no longer present in wild-type animals at this stage) and 8.2 +/- 2.8 neurons are present at 16 hours APF. 0.6 +/- 0.7 surviving EW3-sib cells are seen in these animals (these cells die during embryogenesis in wild type).

At 30 hours after puparium formation (APF), Df(3L)H99/Df(3L)XR38 brains have more neuroblasts than wild-type controls (these mutant animals have the normal number of large, dpn-expressing neuroblasts at earlier, larval stages). Central brain neuroblasts aberrantly persist even at 48 hours APF in these animals, but their numbers are considerably reduced.

Transient persistence of mushroom body neuroblasts is seen in the brains of young adult Df(3L)H99/Df(3L)XR38 animals (mushroom body neuroblasts are not seen in wild-type adults). The persisting adult mushroom body neuroblasts are only half the size of mushroom body neuroblasts present during earlier stages of development and they divide slowly, generating very few adult mushroom body neurons.

Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 mutants, that are rpr null, exhibit a rescue of apoptosis in Crz-expressing neurons of the ventral nerve cord, with approximately 7 pairs of Crz-expressing neurons surviving in these mutants, compared to none in wild-type.

Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 flies are viable, emerge at the expected frequency and have no obvious visible defects. They have a shortened lifespan. Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 embryos and embryos derived from Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 females that lack both zygotic and maternal rpr show no changes in overall apoptosis. Salivary gland and midgut histolysis are not detectably altered in Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 pupae. X-ray induced apoptosis is significantly inhibited in Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 animals, although some ectopic cell death is seen. Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 males are sterile, although spermatogenesis appears normal and large numbers of motile sperm are present in the testes of mutant males. Sperm are not transferred to females when wild-type females are placed with Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 males for several days. The courtship index of Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 males is not significantly different from wild type. The major block in mating appears to be an inability of the males to bend their abdomens sufficiently for copulation. The thoracic and abdominal ganglia of the ventral nerve cord are enlarged in Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 adults. The abdominal ganglion shows the most extensive hyperplasia. 26.6 +/- 1.2 CCAP-expressing neurons persist in the ventral nerve cord 2-6 days after eclosion in Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 adults, compared to the wild-type number of 3 +/- 0.7. 65 +/- 3.8 EcR-A-expressing neurons persist in Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 adults, compared to 2.8 +/- 1.4 in 1-2 day old wild-type adults. Many neuroblasts are present in the abdominal neuromeres of Df(3L)XR38/Df(3L)H99 larvae, in contrast to wild type where most of these neuroblasts undergo apoptosis by the end of embryogenesis. There is a substantial increase in the number of BrdU-labelled cells in the larval abdominal neuromere compared to wild type and cells that have been labelled with BrdU during the larval stages are abundant in the adult ventral nerve cord.

Heterozygous animals have a defect in the programmed cell death of vCrz neurons: 2.2 +/- 1.6 neurons are present at 7 hours after puparium formation (these neurons are no longer present in wild-type animals at this stage).

Anterior dMP2 neurons do not survive in heterozygous late embryos (as occurs in wild-type embryos, where these neurons are lost by the late embryonic stage). 34% of anterior dMP2 neurons survive in late stage Df(3L)XR38 embryos (in contrast to wild-type embryos, where these neurons are lost by the late embryonic stage). Anterior MP1 neurons do not survive in homozygous Df(3L)XR38 late embryos (as occurs in wild-type embryos, where these neurons are lost by the late embryonic stage).